As technology’s influence continues to increase and affect our lives in more ways, so does it affect the world of churches and ministry. Nowhere is this more evident than in the church management software (ChMS) industry. With hundreds of software products and solutions that range from a DOS-based system to a full-enterprise, Web-based system – and prices ranging from a few hundred dollars to tens of thousands of dollars – it’s no surprise that the waters of this industry have become muddy. As such, it has become a source of frustration for most churches to find a solution that is right for them. To help wade through it all, it’s important to look at three different areas. First, what ChMS is. Second, what the difference is between software that gets loaded onto a computer and Web-based software. And third, how to determine value (best solution for the money) with the myriad of solutions available.

What is ChMS? Basically, it’s a series of tools encompasses in a software package designed to help manage the daily operations of the church. However, ChMS isn’t just one set of tools. Depending on the product chosen, there are a variety of tools that can be used to do anything from taking attendance, to offering a full visitor follow-up system, to tracking giving and contributions to the church. What’s more, the industry has increasingly begun to focus on leveraging technology to provide and enhance ministry opportunities in the church. Examples of features are spiritual gifts assessments, ministry placing and tracking of discipleship programs. Being able to report on just about any information found in these programs has proved to be useful for churches.

With a basic understanding of what ChMS is, there is also another distinction that needs to be made. Fifteen years ago, if you were to purchase software to help manage your church, the process would be similar to Microsoft Office or Windows 95. These products needed to be loaded onto your computer and stored there, known today as a heavy application. If you wanted to network your computers, you had to set up a server or run the program from PC to PC. Today, however, there is an alternative to the traditional software – Web-based applications...